Dealership invests £350,000 into car park-plus revamp

Hartwell Dunstable trades in Ford, Fiat and Peugeot brands from its prominent base in London Road and is putting £350,000 into tidying up the outside display area and customer parking.

Luton Town FC fan Graham Betts believes the time is right to make the investment, which runs alongside a continuing commitment to improving all the company’s contact with its customers. Hartwell Dunstable employs 108 people on the site.

Mr Betts said: “It has to be done. That part of the site was known as the beach and any visitor would know it for its potholes and rough patches.

“It’s all to do with customer service and the relaunch of the brand. We have got to raise our game.”

The area being redeveloped has a long industrial use, being formerly a site for Mini experts ERA.

The company has also invested in a new sales executive to increase its share of the commercial sector.

Mr Betts, a supporter of Dunstable, is happy to be in a part of the world where there are six major franchises close by, representing brands that have more than 30 per cent of the market.

He added: “It is becoming a destination area for people who are looking for new vehicles and we are happy with that because the more people you get the better it is for all of us.”